gl ferguson



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sl1eet 1. R. G. FERGUSON.

PORTABLE STEAM GENERATOR AND RADIATOR COMBINED.

N 399,512. Patented Mar. 12, 1889.

i '-z' S l S f j Z H |1 f 'HH mm! H m Witnesses; F I

zm j' zwzzoz:

(No Model.)

. 3 Sheets-Sheet 2: R. G. FERGUSON.

PORTABLE STEAM GENERATOR AND RADIATOR COMBINED. No. 399,512.

Patented Mar. 12, 1889 "lllmlmllw M550 Z51 vezua z. 5244 W z'tnesses:

N. PETERS Phuwmhc mhcr, Washinglon. Dv c.

(No Model) 3 SheetsSheet 3.

R.G.FERGUS-ON.

PORTABLE STEAM GENERATOR AND RADIATOR COMBINED.

N0.39'9,51'2. Patented Mar. 12, 1889.

N. PETERS, Photo-Llmogmphan Washmgion. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIc ROBERT G. FERGUSON, OF SARATOGA SPRINGS, NEWYORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO OSCAR A. DAY, OF SAME PLACE.

PORTABLE STEAM GENERATOR AND RADIATOR COMBINED.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 399,512, dated March12, 1889.

Application filed November 15, 1887. Serial No. 255,182. (No model.)

To (all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT G. FERGUSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at baratoga Springs, in the county of Saratoga and State of NewYork, have invented certam new and useful Improvements in Portable SteamGenerators and Radiators (our bined, of which the following is aspecification.

IO My invention relates to a portable steam generator and radiatorcombined; and it consists of the devices and elements hereinafterparticularly described, and specificallv set forth in the claims. v

I 5 The objects of my invention are, primarily, to produce portableheating apparatus which will be light in weight, cheap in construction,and can be conveniently moved from one room to another or from one partof a room to another part thereof, and will combine, with a heatingdevice which can be regulated at will,

a steam generator and radiators, two or more,

which can have their numbers increased or lessened at will, as maybesuited to the weather or as the comfort of the occupants of the room mayrequire and, second, to provide specific combinations of devices andelements whereby my invention can be embodied in portable combined steamgenerators and radiators,

whereby the heat-ing capacity of the fuel-burning devices, and also ofthat of both the steamgenerator and the radiators, can be increased orlessened at will and the operating parts of the apparatus be socontrolled that their op- 3 5 erations can be adjusted for increasing orlessening the heating power of the apparatus, as the weather or comfort:of occupants of the room may require. I attain these objects by themeans illustrated in the accompanying 4o drawings, forming a part ofthis specification,

in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved combined steamgenerator and radiator with portions of parts broken away to expose hid-5 den or interior parts, portions, and elements. Fig. 2 is a plan viewof the same. Fig. 3 is a view of the steam-generator with partbrokenaway and illustrating its interior construction. Fig. 4 is a sectionalelevation of the same.

Fig. 5 is a view, from above, of a radiator having my improved form ofconstruction. Fig. 6 is a side view of two radiators with parts brokenaway and illustrating their construction and means for uniting the sametogether and with the steam-generator. Fig. 7 is a plan 5 5 view of abattery of steam-radiators. Fig. 8 is a sectional elevation of a batteryof combined steam generators and rmliators. Fig. 9 is a side elevationof myimprovcd apparatus wit-h its outer perforated casing in place.

The same letters of reference refer to like parts throughout the severalviews.

In the (ilrawings, A represents any suitable base for sumiorting theheater, the gen zrator, and the radiators. This base can be made of 6any suitable'metal, either cast or sheet, and with any suitable formwill adapt it to support the several parts of the superstructure, and isprovided with suitable legs, a a, by which it will have support from thefloor.

B is a tank for holding any suitable liquid fuel for burning beneath thesteam-generator.

C are burners of any selected construction for burning with aheating-flame the liquid fuel in tank B.

D is the steam-generator, made preferably of cast metal, and having init the shallow waterchamber (I, of about one inch in vertical extension,and a series of tubular form of perforations, c 0, extended from thelower side of the bottom shell of this generator to the upper side ofthe top wall of the same, as shown in Figs. 3 and l. The walls b ofthese tubular perforations c are preferably cast or made connected withthe walls (1 d of the generator, and serve to stay the said walls andhold them from deflecting when under pressure from the steam within, andthey also serve as fines for the passage of the heat and products ofcombustion from the fuel burno ing at the burners C 0 below saidgenerator to and against the lower side wall of the lowermost radiatorof the series employed, so as to highly heat said wall. Made at apointabout central in the top wall, (1', of this generator is a boss orprojecting ring-form flange, c, which is provided with an internalscrewthread, 0 for securing it to a radiator in a convenient manner, andwith a steam-tight joint. This generator-is seated in an annular rooseat, a, made with the base A, as shown in Fig. 1, and can be readilyplaced in situation in said base or removed from the same. Although thedrawings show this generator to be made with all of its parts abovedescribed in solid connection, as of cast metal, yet, if selected, theupper and lower walls and ann-ular wall, together with the walls of theseveral tubular perforations, can be made of sheet metal and of iron orcopper, with said walls united in a steam-tight manner.

E E are radiators made each of a pair of concavo-convex disks or plates,6 c of metal, and preferably of sheet copper orbrass, struck up in formunder dies or by any other known means. These disks or plates 0 6 can becircular, as shown, or be square, oval, or oblong, as maybe prefei red,and are each securely united to the other all around at their edges in asteam-tight manner, and preferably by means of double-seaming the edgesof the two plates, as shown in Fig 6. These radiators are made,preferably, from ten to twenty inches in diameter and with about fromtwo to three inches extension of chamber ina vertical direction at theircenters. Vhen made with largest diameters, these plates 6 e composingthe radiator, can be stayed from being distended at the centers bytubular form of stays e, secured to the two shells or plates, asindicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, and when stayed I prefer to unitethese tubular form of stays to said plates by means of suitablescrew-tlweads made with each said disk or plate and the ends of the tubeforming the stay; and I would perforate the wall of this tulmlar-formstay to perthe same to the chamber of the radiator. The lower plate, 6',of one radiator E has made at about its center a the screw-threadedhollow nipple f, corresponding in size and screw thread with the sizeand screw-thread of the central perforation of the ring-form flange orboss 0 of the steam-generator, so that the said radiator can at will besecurely attached to said generator in a steanrtight manner or beremoved, as may be required. The upper plate, 6 of each radiator E isprovided with a ring-flange having a central screw-threaded opening, f,and each of the lower plates, e, of the radiators above the lowermostone of the series is provided with a hollow screwt-hreaded nipple, f,corresponding in size and screw-thread with the screw-threaded openingsf of the upper plates of the radiators, so that these radiators can bereadily united with each other in a steam-tight manner with thelowermost one connected with the steamgenerator below, all subsi antially as shown in Fig. 1, and, being thus connected or united, theseradiators will be in situation one vertically over the other, with theirradiatingsurfaces relatively horizontal and in position in reference toeach other to admit a circulation of the air to be warmed between theplates of neighboring radiators, so as to be effectively acted on by theheat from said plates. The plate forming the lower wall, e, of the lowerone of the series of these horizontal radiators E is directly over thesteamgenerator D, and also directly over the walled verticalperforations c 0 provided in the said steam-generator, so that theproducts of combustion from the burners will, after heating the. wallsof said steam-generator and passing through the said perforations 0,heat the said lower side wall, c, of the said lower heater E, andthereby contribute to increase the temperature of the steam containedwithin the chamber of said lower radiator, and also operate to reconvert the condensed waterboing constantly received on the upper side ofthe said lower side wall, 6, of this lower radiator E from the radiatorabove into steam. By thus utilizing the heat from the burners after itspassage through the walled perform tions 0 c of the steam-generator byheating the lower side wall of the lower radiator I am enabled to makemore effective for warming purposes all the other radiators above thelower one, as the steam from the latter will communicate with the otherradiators and highly heat the walls of the same.

F isthe water-measuring vessel, connected with the uppermost radiator ina water-tight manner. This vessel can be made with a size as will giveit capacity for holding,when filled, the quantity of water required tocharge the generator, or it can be made of size to require two fillingsof water to make a single charge.

' F is a tubular-form plug which has its up per end tightly closed,while its lower end is g r open, and has made on its periphery ascrewmit steam to freely pass from the interior of thread, 5, by whichit will be screwed into the bottom of said vessel and into thescrewthreaded opening in the radiator. The lower end of this tube hasmade in its wall one or more perforations or outlets, 3. hen this tubeis screwed into place in the radiator and the bottom of the vessel F toa distance sufficient to carry the outlet-openings 8' below the surfaceof the bottom of vessel F, as shown in Fig. 1, that vessel can be filledwith water, and the water will be held from escaping; and when filledwith water the operator will screw this plugging-tube downwardly untilone or more of the outlet-openings s is uncovered, when the water willreadily run out of said vessel into the radiator or radiators below andthence into the generator below. When a suflicient quantity of water hasbeen introduced into the radiators and generator, the tubular plug Fwill be screwed upwardly again into place, so as to effectually closethe opening of the vessel F to the radiator, when the apparatus will beready for operation.

G is an inclosing-wall between the upper side of the generatorand thelower side of the lowest radiator, and G a tube or pipe leading from thechamber H contained within this wall G to a lire-place or to any flue orpipe in the wall or room, and through which the gases from the burnerswill be drawn from the ap' paratus. G the products of combustion, afterheating the lower side wall, 6, of the lower radiator E, will be drawnto a suitable exit, and this draft, produced by means of the pipe Gdrawing from the chamber ll, between the lower radiator and thesteam-generator, will stimulate the combustion of the fue1,whichwillburn with the best character of flame, and burn without any escapeof gas or smell in the apartment where this apparatus is located.

J is an open-work inclosnre or jacket which incloses the severalradiators to prevent persons from touching the same, and at the sametime permit the air to have ready passage to and from the radiatingsurfaces of the several radiators. This jacket can be made plain orornamental, and n'eterably of thin sheet in etal.

In la r -sized steam genm'ators and radiators I use (to increase thecapacity of the apparatus) groups or batteries of two or more, as shownin Figs. 7 and 8. These batteries can be made to have their severalgenerators and radiators supported by a suitable base, and eachgenerator in the battery will have its own set of burners C, and eachsteam-generator and its connected radiator in the battery will be madeto be without communication with the others in the same, so that in abattery of, say, six steamgenera-tors, D, and radiators E E, belongingto each generator, any one or more of the number of generators, or allof them, can be used at a time. In milder weather one or two of thegenerators can be heated by the burners operating with them, and incooler weather some one or more additional generators can be heated,while in very cold weather all of the generators can be operated with.it will therefore be readily understood that with several generators Dand their respective sets of radiators E E arranged in batteries of twoor more, with each generator having its own lmrners and having nocommunication with the other generators, and the radiators of one sethaving no communication with those of another set; in the battery orwit-hany other generator than the one they are attached to, theoperations of the apparatus can be nicely regulated to suit all weathersand conditions of temperature, and the heat from the apparatus can beincreased or lessened at will.

\Vhen the burners C are lighted, the heat from the same will act on theshell of the generator D and on the walls of the tubular openings c (aand highly heat the same and the small quantity of water within, whichwater will be rapidly converted into steam, and this steam will rise andfill each one of the several rzuliators E with a greater or less degreeof pressure, as the operator or attend ant will, adjust the flame of theburner to produce, and consequently the heat from the radiators will beincreased or lessened correspondingly. As fast as the steam is condensedby reason of its contact with the By means of this wall G and pipecooler surfaces of the radiator, the water from this condensed steamwill run down from one radiator to another by gravity toward or into thegenerator below, where the heat from the burners will at once operate toreconvcrtthis water into steannwhieh will replace the steam condensingwithin the radiators above.

As a rule, one filling of water into the generator at the beginning ofthe cold season will suttice to the end thereof.

I have found that by ascertaining the amount of water which will. besutiicicnt for acharge with the burners regulated to give the hottestlian'ics for producing the greatest possible degree oi. pressure of thesteam from this ascertained charge of wat er wit h thcburners giving thegreatest amount of heat I can dispense with steam-gage and sa tetv-val\"e, so that the cost of the apparatus will. be consideral )1)reduced to the user, as. well as to the manufacturer.

The several parts of this apparatus can be made of sheet metal, ifselected, and when so made it will be very light, so as to be readilyhandled and moved from one place to the other.

lii' preierrwl, combustible vapors or gases can be used in lieu ofliquid fuel when the burners are fitted for their use, as the sameadvantageous results in respect: of cleanliness and control of theheating-flame will be se cured by such use.

Having described my invention, what- I claim, and desire to secure byletters Patent, is-

1. In a portable combined steam generator and radiator, the combination,with the steamgenerator I), having its water-chamber of small verticalextension, and provided with a series of vertical walled perforations,c, all as (lPRClibCti, of the burners C, situated directly beneath thesaid steamgenerator, and the horizontal radiator E, having its lowerside wall, 6, directly over the series of vertical perforations in saidsteam-generator and its chamber communicating directly with the chamberof the latter,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a portable combined steam generator and radiator, the combination,with the steamgenerator D, having its water-chamber of small verticalextension and provided with a series of vertical walled perforations, cc, all as described, and a series of two or more horizontal radiators, EE, having free communication with each other and with thesteamgeneratm', ot' bu rncrs C C, situated beneath the saidsteam-generator, and the incloscd ehamberll, situated between the latterand the horizontal wall e ot the said radiator, substantially as and forthe purposes set forth.

3. In a portable combined steam generator and radiator, the combination,with the steanr generator I), having its water-chamber (Z of smallverticalcxtcnsion and provided with a series of vertical walledperforations, c c, all

as described, and the burners C C, operating and radiator, thecombination, with the steambelow the said steam-generator, of a seriesof connected horizontal radiators, E E, composed each of concave-con vexwalls e 6 as described, and situated one above the other and having treecommunication with each other, the lowermost radiator of the seriesbeing connected with the said steam-generator and having its lower sidewall, 6', heated by the products of combustion passing upwardly throughthe walled perforations in the said steam-generator, all substantiallyas and for the purposes set forth.

4. In a port able combined steam generator generator I), having itswater-chamber of small vertical extension and provided with a series ofvertical walled perforations, a combustion-chaml'ier below the saidsteam-chamber and containing burners (1, and the radiator E above saidgenerator and communicating with it, of the chamber H between saidradiator and generator, with the lower side wall, e, of the formerforming the upper wall of said chamber H, and the pipe G, leading fromthe said chamber to an exit, substantially as and for the purposes setforth.

5. In a portable combined steam generator and radiator, thecombination,with the series of horizontal radiators E E, having each thehorizontal concavo-convex walls 2 c and the chambers of whichcommunicate each with the other, and the steam-generator D, having itswater-chamber of small vertical extension and provided with a series ofvertical walled perforations,c c, of a series of burners containedwithin an inclosed chamber situated underneath the said steam-generator,and heating through the walled perforations of the latter the lower sidewall of the lowermost radiator of the series, and a liquid-fuel tanksupplying l the said burners with fuel, and the chamber H between thesaid steam-generator and the lower radiator and provided with an exitfor escape of the products of combustion, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

6. In a portable combined steam generator and radiator, the combination,with the uppermost one of the series of radiators E of themeasuring-vessel F and the tubular plug F, having its lower endscrew-threaded and working in a screw-threaded opening in the bottom ofthe said Vessel and communicating with the chamber of the radiator andhaving one or more openings, 3, communicating with the chamber of saidmeasuring-vessel, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

7 The combination, with the portable combined steam generator andradiator above described, and consisting of a series of horizontalradiators, E E, formed each by concavoconvex walls e a and having theirchambers communicating with each other, and a steamgenerator, D, havingits water-chamber d of small vertical extension and communicating withthe lowermost one of the series of radiators, and having through it aseries of vertical walled perforations, c c, which communicate abovewith the chamber I-I between this generator and the lower radiator andbelow with the combustion-chamber provided with a series of burners, ofthe open-work or perforated jackets K, inclosing the steam-generator andthe several radiators of the series and supported from the base whichsupports the burners and steamgenerators, all substantially as and forthe purposes set forth.

ROBERT G. FERGUSON. lVitnesses:

L. R. RICH, CLARENCE L. R. KAIN.

